Inkwell



July 6i, 1937; l '.'{3pm-lA'LLVAE1-LALA l I 2,086,614

INKwELL Filed Jarn. l0, 1936 l Za'zd Crandall .Jahn-minvwlmwrz zwi/ish l Patented July 6, 1937 UNHTED STATE Lindquist,

Los Angeles, Caiif.,

assignors to Harry A. Morgan, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application January 10, 1936, Serial No. 58,5li

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an ink well, and more particularly pertains to ink wells of the fountain type in which a column of ink is maintained in an air evacuated reservoir, and is automatically fed therefrom to a well in a fashion to maintain a normal constant level of ink in the well until the ink in the reservoir falls to a predetermined level.

It has heretofore been the practice in ink wells of the above character to fashion the reservoir and the well apart from each other with a communicating duct leading therebetween in a manner such as to complicate construction and assemblage of the parts and also render the interior thereof diicult of accessibility for cleansing purposes.

The primary object ci the present invention is to provide an ink well of the type above reerred to in which the well and reservoir are formed in a unitary structure and so arranged that the well will have a direct open communication with the reservoir and will be arranged entirely within the boundaries of the latter, and whereby the ink well reservoir may be formed of a pair of screw threaded interconnected sections adapted to be readily assembled and disassembled.

A further object is to provide a formation and arrangement of the parts of the ink well such as to permit of its being formed of moulded or diepressed material such as Bakelite, and similar compositions.

Various additional objects and features of the invention may subsequently appear, and will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a plan View of the ink well;

Fig. 2 is a view in Vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a View in vertical section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, as seen in the direction indicated by the arrows showing in dotted lines the manner of supporting a pen on the ink well;

Fig. 4 is a detail in horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing more specifically, A and B indicate generally the top and bottom sections of the ink well, which sections are detachably inter-connected so as to be readily separable to give access to the interior thereof, and for which purpose the top section A is formed with a cylindrical wall portion 5 constituting its lower margin which has external screw threads 6 engageable with internal threads 'l on an upstanding annular wall 8 formed on the bottom section B. As here shown the lower section B constitutes the base of the ink well and includes a bottom wall 9 formed integral with the internally 'threaded annular side wall il. The cylindrical wall 5 and annular wall 3 are dimensioned so that when the wall 5 is screwed into the wall 8 its lower margin will be disposed close to the bottom wall t of the base section.

The tcp section A is formed with a dome shaped top-wall lil formed in continuation of the cylindrical wall 5 but extending in oil-set or eccentric relation to the axis of the latter. The cylindrical wall 5, bottom wall 9, and top wall lil collectively inclcse a chamber C constituting an ink reservoir.

As a means of sealing the joint between the upper and lower sections A and B against leakage, the upper section A is `formed with a ilange Il projecting outwardly from the upper margin oi the cylindrical portion 5 to overlie the upper edge of the annular wall ii and interposed between the upper edge of the wall i3 and the flange il is a gasket l2.

In carrying out the invention, a well D is provided on the top section A integral therewith and encompassed by the wall 5 by forming the top section with an annular apron i4 leading downwardly from the top portion thereof adjacent the wall 5, which apron Hi is disposed with its axis arranged on a plane extending diametrically of the dome lil where the base portion of the latter is spaced farthest from the wall 5 and has its lower margin disposed on a plane spaced slightly above the plane of the Lipper surface of the bottom wall t to afford a communication between the well D and the reservoir C throughout the lower margin of the apron. The section A is formed with atop wall l5 which inclines downwardly at a slight incline to the horizontal from its intersection with the dome Ill to the outermost marginal portion of the apron ifi and @Verlies a cylindrical space d leading to the well D through the top wall oi the latter. rIhe wall l5 is formed with a circular opening it in which is inserted a soft resilient grommet or ring l5 whereby the well D is formed with a circular opening having a resilient margin adapted to receive a pen and a portion of the shank of a pen holder, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The under surface b of the top wall of the well extends on a plane below the upper edge of the wall 8, and the underside c of the top wall of the reservoir C extends on a plane approximating the plane of the margin of the opening I6.

The apron I4 is formed with opposed side openings I'I which extend upwardly from the lower margin of the apron I4 to a point spaced a short distance below the surface b which openings afford a communication between the reservoir C and the well D with their upper ends serving to define the level of ink in the well D, as will presently be described.

By thus forming the upper section A with the well D, the walls of the latter may be readily formed as a unit with the other portions of the section A by a molding or die Casting operation.

The lower section B is likewise adapted to be formed by a molding or die casting operation.

It will be apparent that assemblage of the ink well may be readily accomplished, it only being necessary to screw the upper section A into engagement with the lower section B and to insert the cushion or elastic grominet I6 in engagement with the margin of the opening I E to effect complete assemblage of the ink well; the gasket I2 being applied as will be readily understood.

In the operation of the invention, the reservoir C is initially filled with ink by disposing the ink well with the base cr lower portion thereof extending at a slight inclination to the vertical with the well opening uppermost whereupon ink is poured into the well from whence it flows into the reservoir C and displacing air in the latter, which displaced m'r passes to atmosphere through the well opening. This lling operation is continued until the reservoir C is substantially full of ink, whereupon the ink well is disposed in its normal position, as sho-wn in Fig. 3, and whereupon a volume of ink. will flow from the reservoir C into the well D until the latter is filled to a level determined by the upper margins of the openings I'l which extend on a plane considerably below the inner surface C of the dome I, thus providing a column of ink in the reservoir C extending above the level of the column in the well D in the fashion common in fountain ink wells.

As the ink is withdrawn from the well D as by dipping a pen therein or illing a fountain pen therefrom, the level of the ink in the well is consequently lowered but is immediately compensated for by an inow of ink from the reservoir C until the level of the ink in the reservoir C falls to the plane of the level of the ink in the well D, whereupon to maintain the fountain effect of the ink well the latter is refilled.

When it is desired to clean the ink well, the latter is drained as by removing the grommet l5 and pouring the ink from the well D, whereupon the upper and lower sections A and B may be detached by unscrewing the threads 6 and l. The interior of the ink well is thus rendered readily accessible.

An important feature of the construction resides in the arrangement of the surfaces b and c andV of the upper margins of the openings Il, relative to each other and to the margin of the opening i6, since by spacing the surface b a distance below the rim of the opening I and by disposing the surface c on a piane with such margins with the upper ends of the openings VI spaced below the surface la level of the ink, when the ink well is filled to its limit, will be disposed on a plane a sufheient distance below the opening i6 as to insure against overflow of the ink on expansion of air entrapped in the reservoir C above the ink therein.

We claim:

l. In a fountain ink well, a base section formed with a bottom wall and an upstanding internally threaded annular side wall, a top section including an externally threaded cylindrical wall portion screwed into engagement with the annular wall of the base section with its lower margin contiguous the bottom wall of the base section, said top section being formed with a top wall leading to said cylindrical wall portion, a well formed on said top section comprising an apron extending downwardly from the top wall thereof and terminating adjaoentthe bottom wall of the base section and in spaced relation thereto and having side openings communicating with the interior of said top section; said top wall having an opening leading into said well the margin of which opening is spaced from the upper margins of said side openings.

2. In a fountain ink well, a base section formed with a bottom wall and an upstanding internally threaded annular side wall, a top section includ ing an externally threaded cylindrical wall portion screwed into engagement with the annular wall of the base section with its lower margin contiguous the bottom wall of the base section, said top section being formed with a top wall leading to said cylindrical wall portion, a welll formed on said top section comprising an apron extending downwardly from the top wall thereof and terminating adjacent the bottom wall of the base section and in spaced relation thereto and having side openings communicating with the interior of said top section; said top Wall having an opening leading into said well the margin of which opening is spaced from the upper margins of said side openings, and a resilient grommet on the margin of the opening in said top wall.

3. A fountain ink well comprising a bottom section and a topI section, said top section having a domed top wall and formed with an opening adjacent the base of said top wall, a well on said top wall with which said opening communicates having a side opening leading to the interior of said tcp section, the upper margin of which is spaced below the opening in said top wall; said sections including overlying annular side walls screwed together and encompassing said well, a

iiange on said top section overlying the side wallV of said bottom section and a gasket interposed between said flange and lower section side wall. 4. In a fountain ink well, an ink reservoir comprising a base section formed with a bottom wall and an upstanding internally threaded annular side wall, a top section including an externally threaded cylindrical side wall screwed into engagement with the annular side wall of the base section, said top section also including a top wall formed in continuation of the threaded cylindrical side wall, and an apron formed interiorly of said top section extending downwardly from the top wall thereof with its lower margin contiguous the bottom wall of the base section and slightly spaced therefrom, said apron having a side opening the upper margin of which is spaced below the inner face of the top wall; said top wall having an opening leading into the space bounded by said apron.

LOID CRANDALL.

,JOI-IN W. DAVIS.

LORENTZ J. LINDQUIST. 

